1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing an active material and electrode employed in rechargeable electrochemical devices such as a lithium ion secondary battery and an electrical double layer capacitor (EDLC), and to an active material and electrode produced by the method.
2. Related Background Art
Rechargeable electrochemical devices such as lithium ion secondary batteries and electrical double layer capacitors are widely used in cellular phones, laptop computers, PDAs and the like. The main positive electrode active materials used in lithium ion secondary batteries are metal oxides such as LiCoO2, LiNixCO1−xO2, LiMn2O4, LiCOxNiyMn1−x−yO2 and LiCOxNiyAl1−x−yO2, and much research is being conducted on metal oxide particles with the aim of achieving further improved cell characteristics (see Patent documents 1-6 and Non-patent documents 1-3, for example).    [Patent document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI No. 07-288127    [Patent document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication HEI No. 04-319260    [Patent document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-85635    [Patent document 4] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-200605    [Patent document 5] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-107763    [Patent document 6] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-276454    [Non-patent document 1] Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 6(11)A221-A224 (2003)    [Non-patent document 2] Electrochimica Acta 49 (2004) 1079-1090    [Non-patent document 3] Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 6(1)A16-A18 (2003)